September 24, 2014

The appeal of apples

It’s fall and that means it’s time for apples again. Yes, they’re in supermarkets all summer long, but why eat out-of-season apples when you can have summer berries, peaches, plums, and melons?

However now that the temperature and the leaves are falling, I’m in the mood for apples fresh from farm-stands and farmers’ markets.

Crisp raw apples are wonderful on their own, and I love baked apples, apple pie, apple cake, and even applesauce. One of my favorite ways to serve apples is as a vegetable. This recipe is from Good Things to Eat by Rufus Estes, who was a chef on Pullman trains in the late nineteenth century. He cooked for presidents and princesses, for the gilded age elite as they traveled in elegant Pullman carriages. However, most of the recipes in his cookbook are as simple and down-to-earth as this one for apples and onions.

Apples and Onions

Select sour apples, pare, core and thinly slice. Slice about half as many onions, put some bacon fat in the bottom of a frying-pan and when melted add the apples and onions. Cover the pan and cook until tender, cooking rather slowly. Sprinkle with sugar, and serve with roast pork.